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700w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/c7b7427b-8715-49d5-be25-b760ec450982-300x28.png 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/c7b7427b-8715-49d5-be25-b760ec450982-350x33.png 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/c7b7427b-8715-49d5-be25-b760ec450982-150x14.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></figure></div> <div style="height:22px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p><strong><em>Deeply rooted in the historic Christian tradition, ecumenical in spirit, and open to emerging dialogue between denominations and with other faiths, Eerdmans is committed to the life of the religious academy, to the church, and to the role of religion in culture, while continually diversifying its body of work so as to reach an even wider audience of academics, faith leaders, and general readers.</em></strong></p> <div style="height:42px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-416" style="width:124px;height:186px" width="124" height="186" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-325x488.jpg 325w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-133x200.jpg 133w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design.jpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 124px) 100vw, 124px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>William B. Eerdmans Sr.</em></figcaption></figure></div> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">1911</h1> <p>The son of a Dutch textile manufacturer, William B. Eerdmans Sr. immigrated to Grand Rapids from the Netherlands in 1902 and began peddling books to support himself while attending Calvin Theological Seminary. In 1911 Eerdmans quit the seminary, convinced that he would be “a misfit in the ministry,” and on August 16, 1911, he and Brant Sevensma formed the Eerdmans-Sevensma Company, a dealership specializing in theological textbooks.</p> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">1922</h1> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417" style="width:348px;height:195px" width="348" height="195" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-350x197.jpg 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1-150x84.jpg 150w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-design-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 348px) 100vw, 348px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>William at his desk</em></figcaption></figure></div> <p>By 1922 Eerdmans was sole owner of the company, then renamed the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Many of the earliest Eerdmans books were classic theological works by European scholars, and the initial volumes were printed in the Dutch language.<br><br>The company distinguished itself in the early years with its numerous volumes on and about John Calvin, including a new printing of the 50-volume <em>Commentary of John Calvin</em> published at a cost of $300,000. <br><br>Through philanthropic book awards, generous financial backing of Christian organizations, and William Eerdmans’s propensity for publishing only those books which lived up to his standards of excellence, the company鈥檚 reputation steadily spread.<br><br>Although much of its initial success was predicated on theological and reference works, Eerdmans also concerned itself with other genres. In the Fall 1945 issue of the <em>Eerdmans Quarterly Observer</em>, William Eerdmans elaborated on the scope of the company:</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-423" style="width:360px;height:202px" width="360" height="202" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-350x197.jpg 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1-150x84.jpg 150w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company’s first bookstore</em></figcaption></figure></div> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p>“We should not limit ourselves to a certain field or type of book. There are good books in all the various phases of life and human experience. We should feed our minds with a variety of thoughts, as we do our stomachs with a variety of foods… Great books are like mountain tops. They take us toward the skies, a new realm, and a new vision of the world and creation… The greatest of all books are those that bring us near Divine truth, with a message of righteousness to all mankind.”</p> <cite>William B. Eerdmans, Sr.</cite></blockquote> <p>That sort of continuing commitment has, over the years, brought into the Eerdmans fold a wide range of authors. The press continues to pursue this ideal by diversifying the books and authors published under its name.</p> <div style="height:32px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424" style="width:614px;height:345px" width="614" height="345" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-350x197.jpg 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2-150x84.jpg 150w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company’s first buildin</em>g</figcaption></figure></div> <div style="height:34px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">1966</h1> <p>When William B. Eerdmans Sr. died in 1966, his son, William B. Eerdmans Jr., became the new president and maintained the company鈥檚 high literary and intellectual standards throughout his tenure.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-421" style="width:394px;height:221px" width="394" height="221" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-350x197.jpg 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3-150x84.jpg 150w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/3.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 394px) 100vw, 394px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>William B. Eerdmans Jr. accepts 1978 Gold Medallion Awards for 7 Eerdmans titles</em></figcaption></figure></div> <p>The social ferment of the 1960s introduced a new sphere of books to the company. With the belief that responsible viewpoints from all along the Christian spectrum should be given opportunity for expression, Eerdmans welcomed books on social criticism, politics, and a myriad of current issues from racism to sexuality to medical ethics. Amid these exciting forays into new publishing territory, the mainstay of the Eerdmans list remains numerous commentaries and scholarly reference works like the <em>Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament</em>, the New International Commentary series, and the Commentaries for Christian Formation series, as well as various works of systematic theology and religious history, including the popular Library of Religious Biography series.</p> <div style="height:17px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">1995</h1> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1108" style="width:331px;height:75px" width="331" height="75" srcset="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo.png 838w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo-300x68.png 300w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo-768x174.png 768w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo-350x79.png 350w, https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Eerdmansbooksforyoungreaderstransparentlogo-150x34.png 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 331px) 100vw, 331px" /></figure></div> <div style="height:17px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p class="has-text-align-left">Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (EBYR) began in 1995 and has become a globally renowned imprint. EBYR titles consistently earn high praise and starred reviews along with numerous awards, including the Batchelder Honor, awarded to <em>Different: A Story of the Spanish Civil War</em> by M贸nica Monta帽茅s and Eva S谩nchez G贸mez, translated by Lawrence Schimel as well as the prestigious Caldecott Honor, given to <em>A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams</em> and <em>The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus</em>, both by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet.</p> <div style="height:35px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AnitaEerdmans.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1248" style="width:124px;height:186px" width="124" height="186" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Anita Eerdmans</em></figcaption></figure></div> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">2014</h1> <p>In 2014, William B. Eerdmans Jr. stepped down as president and was <a href="https://eerdword.com/press-release-anita-eerdmans-named-new-president-and-publisher-of-eerdmans-publishing-william-b-eerdmans-jr-assumes-role-of-chairman-of-the-board/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">succeeded by Anita Eerdmans</a>, who remains the president and publisher鈥攐nly the third president in the company鈥檚 long and storied history. The company stays committed to serving its readers and providing engaging books for the benefit of the ecumenical church and academia.</p> <h1 class="wp-block-heading"><br>Today</h1> <p>Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, <strong>Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company</strong> is an independent publisher of religious books, from academic books and scholarly works in theology, biblical studies, and religious history to popular titles in spirituality, ministry, and cultural criticism.</p> <p>As Eerdmans proceeds into the future, continuing to grow its traditional cloth and paper offerings, it has also become increasingly creative in its approach, embracing new platforms such as ebooks, audiobooks, and print-on-demand. After over one hundred years, it holds firmly to the motto established by its founder, William B. Eerdmans Sr.<br></p> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h1 class="wp-block-heading">“The finest in religious literature.”</h1> <p>William B. Eerdmans Sr. believed that responsible viewpoints from across the religious spectrum should be given opportunity for expression and that high literary and intellectual standards were of utmost importance. His publishing company continues to operate according to these beliefs today.<br></p> <div style="height:42px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="/books">Browse Eerdmans Titles</a></div> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="/youngreaders">Browse Young Readers Titles</a></div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </main> </div> </div> <footer id="colophon" class="site-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="site-container"> <div class="site-footer__nav"> <div class='site-branding__social site-footer__social'><p>Connect</p><span class='site-branding__social__icon'><a href='https://www.facebook.com/eerdmans' target='_blank' title='Follow us on Facebook' class='facebook'><span class='icon-facebook'></span></a></span><span class='site-branding__social__icon'><a href='https://www.twitter.com/eerdmansbooks' target='_blank' title='Follow us on X (formerly Twitter)' class='twitter'><span class='icon-twitter'></span></a></span><span class='site-branding__social__icon'><a href='https://www.instagram.com/eerdmans' target='_blank' title='Follow us on Instagram' class='instagram'><span class='icon-instagram'></span></a></span><span class='site-branding__social__icon'><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/eerdmanspublishing' target='_blank' title='Follow us on LinkedIn' class='linkedin'><span class='icon-linkedin'></span></a></span><span class='site-branding__social__icon'><a href='https://www.youtube.com/eerdmanspublishing' target='_blank' title='Follow us on YouTube' class='youtube'><span class='icon-youtube'></span></a></span></div> <nav class="footer-navigation" role="navigation" aria-label="footer menu"> <div class="menu-footer-menu-container"><ul id="footer-menu" class="menu"><li id="menu-item-131" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-131"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/search-results-grid/" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Find a Book</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-359" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-359"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/catalogs/">Browse the Catalog</a></li> <li id="menu-item-104" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-104"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders/">Young Readers</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-461" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-item page_item page-item-409 current_page_item menu-item-has-children menu-item-461"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/history/" aria-current="page" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">About Us</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-904" class="menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-904"><a href="https://eerdword.com/">Eerdword Blog</a></li> <li id="menu-item-541" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-541"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/submissions/">Submissions</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-542" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-542"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/media-review-copies-interviews/" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">Media Review Copies & Interviews</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-543" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-543"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/ordering-information/">Ordering Information</a></li> <li id="menu-item-460" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-460"><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul></div> </nav> </div> <div class="site-footer__logos"> <div class="site-footer__logo"> <img src="https://www.eerdmans.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Logo-White.png" alt="Logo White"/> </div> </div> <p class="site-footer__copy-right"> 漏 2025 Eerdmans Publishing Co. 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